It’s November – a time for lighting stoves; evening classes; growing amaryllis (more of this later) and essentially, a little sherry to get us through.
But ‘to everything there is a season’, and in the
Here in the Scottish Highlands, it’s impossible not to have your heart lifted by the profusion of rowan trees (Sorbus) happily lighting up a browning landscape with their bright red berries.
And if that doesn’t suit your
Rowans are essentially native species and I suspect many of you are also marvelling at the berries of Spindle Euonymus europaeus (our feature pic this week), Guelder rose Viburnam opulus and dog roses (Rosa canina) in hedgerows near you. But don’t dally, our hungry birds are already in full ‘nosh’ mode. This is the problem with gardening for wildlife – its success can sometimes result in little personal disappointments.
If you’re looking for something less ‘Countryfile’ and a bit more ‘Farrow and Ball’, try Gaultheria ‘Bell’s seedling’. This is a belter for me being acid-loving (most of Scotland tends to have acidic soil) and carries sexy maroon berries against glossy dark green leaves. Make sure you get the self-fertile ‘Bell’s Seedling’ variety though, otherwise you must have a boy and a girl to produce the berries…you know how it works 🤭
Finally from me, I commend Hippophae rhamnoides ‘Leikora’ (sea buckthorn) If you can grow this, you really should. It likes poor soil, a salty wind and, being deciduous, looks a little ropey in winter but boy oh boy, those berries in autumn! Added to which they’re vitamin-rich superfoods, so quickly harvest a few for yourself before our feathered friends scoff the lot…avians aren’t the only ones at risk from flu this winter!
Lots of suggestions from Caroline in bright primary colours …, it’s a bit like being back at Play-school isn’t it?
For me it’s increasingly a matter of structure and form and the way the autumn light plays on surfaces that draws me in to appreciate seeds and berries at this time of the year.
I’ve long been a fan of Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis, the Yunnan liquorice plant, for its fascinating angled seedheads. Held aloft on tall stems the last all winter in the
A new attraction in the
Finally, and my sisters will definitely think I’m pushing the boat out a bit too far with this one, I love seeing the slinky feathered seeds reveal themselves from the decaying seed pods of my butterfly weeds, Asclepias tuberosa. I make a point of delving in the undergrowth to see this classy little plant throw just one last roll of dice before it disappears back underground until early June next year.
Okay, so back to the real world. You do NOT have to have a collection of weirdo plants to provide you with some beautiful and fascinating forms and colours in early winter.
Good old fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant that keeps giving. Flat, yellow umbellifer flowers on its tall feathery stalks, fantastic for insects and birds; edible flowers, leaves and seeds; and the purple variety even has a dreamy leaf colour. Yes, it IS a bit of a self-seeder, but I forgive it. Especially when it rewards my tolerance with splendidly architectural seedheads like these. Remember to cut these dried stalks off in late winter so that the emerging new shoots don’t get damaged.
Rosehips develop when you don’t remove the spent rose flowers and many will develop attractive ‘seed-pods’ if left on the plant. Not all of them, mind. Hybrid Teas, for instance, generally have too many petals to be pollinated and are thus virtually sterile.
If your rose is a once-flowerer, leave the dead flowers on, and see what happens. Lots of them, Hybrid Musk roses like ‘Buff Beauty’, ‘Felicia’ and ‘Penelope’ especially, will all reward you for your indolence. Also, I shall stop dead-heading repeat-flowerers like ‘Westerland’, ‘Sally Holmes’ and Growbag fave ‘Bonica’ round about now – they will all be waggling their sparkly little hips like they are on Strictly, as coquettish compensation for another summer gone forever. The hips of the species rose Rosa glauca are almost as lovely as its small pink flowers.
Another seedhead which is a marvel of design is Allium christophii. Like many of the larger alliums, it adds pizazz and drama to an indoor display, which is actually a better way of admiring them because the ‘spokes’ are pretty fragile and break easily in winter winds.
If berries are more your thing, then Cotoneaster cornubia or Callicarpa will dazzle before the birds start feasting (though not usually their first go-to for winter, they will usually have scoffed the lot by February in my
One more seedhead of note in my
What ‘non-blooms’ are warming your cockles this November? We’d love to hear about them…….
Climate change has meant that our milder autumns cause some plants to flower for much longer. This delightful cottage plant is full of glowing red blooms right up to and beyond Remembrance Day – no surprise it’s Louise’s Great Plant this Month:
This, and other money-saving offers, just in time for Christmas shopping!
Take a look at our offers page. You can get money off Muck Boots this month and 15% off Genus Gardenwear. A gift from either of these pretty much makes up for anything you may have done wrong this year. Santa endorsed.
Oooft, the cold weather is on its way now for sure. Which of your plants do you need to protect from the frost? Laura tells us about how she rescues her tender plants in autumn.
Have you planted your amaryllis yet? Why not have a go at our Great Christmas Amaryllis Challenge to see which of us can get our amaryllis bulbs to be in full flower during Christmas week.
Not too soon, not too late. It’s a real nail-biter! 🤣
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